The Pittsburgh Steelers did the unthinkable this Sunday. They actually played their brand of Steeler football for the first time in what has been a slow start to the season. The result? The Steelers came away victorious in a 20-10 defeat of the New Orleans Saints in what was just their third win of the season. The game was headlined by the return of reigning defensive player of the year T.J. Watt, but that didn’t seem to stop the Steelers' offense from capturing the attention of all of SteelerNation.
We heard rumblings this past week about how the Steelers' offensive coaching staff, led by Matt Canada, was going to create a different game plan for this particular game but left out the details as to what would actually be changing. Obviously, Kenny Pickett is the headliner and he lived up to the hype.
Although these stats don’t jump out at you, you can see that maturity in the young quarterback progress week by week. What was more of a relief to see was watching Najee Harris have what was his best game of the season as of yet, rushing for 99 yards (1 yard short of his first 100-yard game), especially after the criticism he has faced over these past two months.
Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt (90) celebrates after a tackle for loss in a victory vs The New Orleans Saints. /Photo Credit: Karl Roser.Steelers.com/
Although the season hasn't started out how many would have hoped, this Steelers team has legitimate reasons why they now sit with a 3-6 record. Obviously, we all see the impact that T.J. Watt has on this team whenever he is on the field. The Steelers went 1-6 in his absence and having him back for the remainder of the season can only bring good things to this football team.
Not only is Watt just now getting back to 100% but Harris himself is fully recovering from a foot injury that required him to wear a steel plate in his shoe. It seems the injury affected Harris' development early in the year, making it hard for the 2021 Pro Bowl rusher to get into a steady rhythm throughout these first two months. If this Sunday's win showed me anything, it's that these two Pro Bowl-caliber players are back, and that means the Steelers are going to be a team that any opponent will want to face, especially this late in the season.
Photo Credit: Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
It's that Steelers culture we all talk about. Playing through their defense and tiring opposing defenses out with their stellar rushing attack is something this particular Steelers team is built for. Culture is not built in a day, it's something that progresses and the Steelers took a step in the right direction after Sunday's 20-10 victory.
The offense played through Harris and the threat he brings week in and week out is something that can only help our rookie quarterback get into a rhythm sooner rather than later. This team is three games under five hundred and currently sits three games back of the Baltimore Ravens (who the Steelers have yet to play) in the AFC North, and will see a division opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend.
Believe it or not, there is time to make up some ground here, and Sunday's victory could be the one we look back on, as a stepping stone for this team.
Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) hands the ball off to running back Najee Harris (22) in a 20-10 win vs the New Orleans Saints. / Abigail Dean.Steelers.com /
"That bye week, we talked about a lot of stuff. That had to do with outside of football too, that can help us out on the field. We're taking a different approach here, in how to do things around the building. Rebuilding a culture in a way. We gotta change a lot of things. We're still building but we're going towards the right direction," Harris said.
Did the Steelers' game plan on Sunday excite you for the rest of the season? Or do you still think Matt Canada will find a way to mess it up? Let us know in the comments below!
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